Islaam has forbidden the
calls of jaahiliyyah (the prelslaamic days of ignorance) and there are
many textual evidences which forbid all of the characteristics and manners
of jaahiliyyah and their actions, except those (good and decent) practices
which Isl aam agreed to. And there is no doubt that the call to nationalism
is from these calls of jaahiliyyah, since nationalism is a call to other
than Islaam and an aiding of other than the truth. And how many ills, evils
and serious wars has such calls of jaahi liyyah caused to their people,
causing great harm to their souls, their wealth and their possessions.
The consequences of such calls (for the Muslims) was a splitting up of
their unity and a planting of enmity and hatred of each other in their
hearts and a fragmentation and splitting between tribes and nations.

Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) rahimahullaah
said: [2] "Everything which is outside the call of Islaam and the Qur'aan,
with regards to lineage, land, nationality, schools of thoughts and ways,
then it is from the calls of jaahiliyyah. lndeed, even when the Muhaa jirs
(those Companions who migrated from Makkah to Madeenah) and the Ansaars
(those Companions who aided and supported those who migrated) argued, such
that one of the Muhaajirs said:" O Muhaajirs! (implying; rally to my aid)
" And one of the Ansaar said: "O Ansaar!" Upon hearing this, the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Is it with the calls of Jaahiliyyah
that you call, and l am still amongst you!" And he became very angry at
that."[3]

And from the textual evidences pertaining
to this issue is Allaah the Most High's saying:

"And stay in your homes and do not
display yourselves, like the display of the times of jaahiliyyah (pre lslaamic
ignorance). But establish the Prayer, give the Zakaat and obey Allaah and
His Messenger. " [Soorah alAhzaab 33:33]

"When those who disbelieved placed
in their hearts pride and arrogance the pride and arrogance of jaahiliyyah
then Allaah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam and upon the Believers ..." [Soorah alFath 48 26].

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam said: "Whosoever leaves off obedience and separates from the Jamaa'ah
and dies, he dies a death of jaahiliyyah. Whoever fights under the banner
of the blind, becoming angry for 'asabiyyah (partisanship and party s pirit),
or calling to 'asabiyyah, or assisting 'asabiyyah, then dies, he dies a
death of jaahiliyyah." [4]

Also in Saheeh Muslim (8/120) the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: lndeed Allaah has revealed
to me that you should have humility, and that no one should act proudly
and oppressively over anyone else, nor should anyone boast over anyone
else. "

And there is no doubt that the call
to nationalism is a call to 'asabiyyah (partisanship and party spirit)
and it is a call to becoming angry for the sake of 'asabiyyah and fighting
for 'asabiyyah. And there is no doubt also, that the call to nationalism
is a call to transgression, pride and arrogance, since nationalism is not
a divinely revealed way of life which prevents its people from oppression
and proud boasting. Rather it is an ideology from the time of jaahiliyyah
which leads its people to boastin g about it and having 'asabiyyah for
it even if they are the oppressors and the others are the oppressed ! So
O noble reader consider this and the truth will be clear to you.

And from the textual evidences connected
with this is what at-Tirmidhee relates from Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam that he said: "Let people stop boasting about their forefathers
who have died, who are merely fuel for the Hell Fire; or they will certainly
be more insignificant with Allaah than the beetle which roles dung with
its nose. Allaah has removed from you the party spirit of the days of jaahiliyyah
and the boasting about one's forefathers. Indeed a person is either a pious
Belie ver or a wretched sinner. All of mankind are the children of Aadaam,
and Aadam was created from clay.[5]

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam also said: "Indeed there is no excellence for an arab over a non-arab,
nor a non-arab over an arab, nor a white person over a black one, nor a
black person over a white one, except through taqwaa (piety and obedie
nce to Allaah) [6]

And this accords with Allaah the
Most High's saying:

"O mankind! We have created you from
male and female and have made you into nations and tribes, that you may
know one another. Indeed the most noblest of you with Allaah is the one
who has the most taqwaa." [Soorah al-Hujuraat 49:13].

So Allaah the One free from all defects-
made clear in this noble aayah (verse) that people have been made into
nations and tribes so that they may come to know each other, not that they
should boast and have pride over one another. And Allaah the Most Hi gh
considered the most noblest of them to be the one with the most piety and
taqwaa. Likewise, the previously mentioned narration shows the same meaning,
and guides to the fact that it is from the ways of jaahiliyyah to vainly
boast and to have false prid e for one's fore fathers and ancestry. This
is what the calls of jaahiliyyah lead to, whereas Islaam is in opposition
to this. Rather Islaam calls to modesty, humility, taqwaa and to having
love for the sake of Allaah, and that the true and sincere Muslim s are
merely one of the categories of the children of Aadam 'alayhis salaam,
and that the Muslims are a single body and a single structure; each part
supporting the other and each part feeling the pain that the other parts
are suffering as occurs in an a uth entic hadeeth (narration) from the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, that he said: "The Believer to the
Believer is like a solid building, one part supports the other." And he
interlaced his fingers to demonstrate this[7].

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam also said: "The example of the Believer in their mutual love and
mercy is like the example of a body, if one part of the body feels pain,
then all the body suffers in sleeplessness and fever. [8]

O people! I call to you in the name
of Allaah. Does your nationalism call you to these noble manners of mercy
and kindness to the Muslims the arabs and the non arabs and of having mutual
sympathy and concern for them, and feeling pain at their pain? No by Allaah
! Rather it calls you to having allegiance with those who have evil character
and it calls you to cultivating enmity and hatred for those who deny this
false creed of nationalism . So beware, O Muslim who desires safety and
salvation, and consider the reality of the affair with a fair consideration,
without being prejudiced with party spirit and desires. Only then you will
see the reality as it truly is. So may Allaah guide me and you to the means
of safety and salvation.

And it is related by Imaam al-Bukhaaree
in his Saheeh (8/137), that a young man from the Muhaajirs and a young
man from the Ansaar quarreled. So the Muhaajir said: "O Muhaajirs! (meaning:
rally to my help)" And the Ansaaree said: "O Ansaar'" So the Prophe t sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam heard this and said: ''Is it with the call off jaahiliyyah
that you are calling out, and I am present amongst you !"

Even though the term Muhaajir and
Ansaar are two ascriptions which are beloved to Allaah the One free from
all defects and He has praised these two groups with a very great praise,
in His the Most High's saying:

"And the first to embrace Islaam
from the Muhaajirs and the Ansaar, and those who followed them in goodness,
beliefs and actions. Allaah is well pleased with them, and they are well
pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens of Paradise, beneath
w hich rivers flow, to live therein forever. That is the supreme achievement."
[Soorah at-Tawbah 9:100].

Yet in the above incident, this ascription
to the Muhaajirs and seeking the help from them, and the Ansaar and seeking
the help from them, when the likes of this was considered to be from the
calls of jaahiliyyah, then what about those who claim allegianc e to nationalism
and seek help through that and become angry for that? Will this not be
more fitting to be considered one of the calls from the days of jaahiliyyah?
This is a matter in which there is no doubt, and it is one of the clearest
of all matters.

And this is what has been established
in the authentic hadeeth (narration), from alHaarith alAsh'aree radiallaahu
'anhu, that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "I order you
with five things which Allaah ordered me with: The Jamaa'ah, hearing ,
obeying, hijrah (migration) and jihaad in the way of Allaah the Mighty
and Majestic. So whosoever separates from the Jamaaah by a handspan, throws
the yoke of Islaam from his neck, unless he repents. And whosoever calls
with the call of jaahiliyyah (the days of ignorance), then he is from the
hoarded heap of Hell Fire" It was said: Even if he fasts and prays? He
said: "Even if he fasts and prays. So call with the call of Allaah which
Allaah gave: The Muslims, the Believers, Worshippers of Allaah.' [9]

This hadeeth is absolutely clear
with regards to rendering futile the calls to nationalism. Its callers
deserve that they should be from the heap of Hell Fire, even if they fast
and they Pray and claim that they are Muslims. So what a severe threat
and se vere warning is given here; warning every muslim from the calls
of jaahiliyyah and warning them from entering into this even if such calls
are adorned with false talks and enchanting speeches . Rather it is a deception
and a blind following which leads it s people to the worst and most despicable
of ends. And we ask Allaah for safety and freedom from that.